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POSTED ON 7.4.2001, POSTED BY: David Atkinson, "Old Friend" Its July 4, 2001. I was there the day you went down. Didn't find your ship for 30 days. Went to the crash site and looked for you. Found Dobry and McGlothlin, brought them out, looked everywhere for you. Have wondered for years what happened. You and time are the only people who know. You were a true "Light Scout". Think about you every day. Your friend, SP5 David Atkinson, DTrp, 3rd Sqd., 4th Cav., 25th Inf. Div., a fellow "Light Scout".
I flew LOH's and Cobra's in D troop and was a seasoned veteran at the ripe old age of 20 when Andy came to our unit. We became good friends and he often stopped by my hootch during the evenings for a beer, more than likely because I had the only air conditioner in the unit, to my knowledge. Andy was a veteran non-com and Green Beret before he went to flight school to be a pilot and we were all a little bit in awe of his calm demeanor and gentle nature. I have never known anyone I respect more in my life and I hope to see that smirk I remember so well when I meet my maker and get re-introduced to the people I have come to cherish. His last moments, or days, are a mystery to us but I will say that I don't know anyone personally who better exemplifies the spirit and code of ethics that all of us who served as Army Aviators strove to achieve and he is a hero in the true sense of the word. God Bless You and Keep you. Andrew J. Elliott, aka Elli-Goat. Email Address: brethene@gmail.com
Other Comments:
Elliot's been on my mind for several weeks now, and then I just (happily) stumbled across this site entirely by accident. I was a newbie cobra pilot in the same hooch as he. As in all units, newbies got treated poorly by some of the older hands. On one particular occasion, a couple of guys were giving me an especially rough time, really over the top. Elliot, without even raising his voice, just told them to lay off. It never happened again. I've thought of that incident many times over the years & now I finally get to say "Thanks Elliot, that meant a lot to me". Farris Poole Email Address: farris@studio10photo.com.
Description This campaign was from 23 February to 8 June 1969. From Tet 1969 through the month of June, the enemy again tried to sustain an offensive. His inability to do so can be largely attributed to aggressive allied ground operations. Between 23 February and 8 June 1969, a total of 70 significant named ground operations were terminated resulting in heavy enemy loss of life and materiel. The main operations concluded during this period were:
(1). The 3d Marine Division's Operation KENTUCKY aimed at preventing enemy infiltration through the Demilitarized Zone in central Quang Tri Province. Throughout the early part of January 1969, Viet Cong/North Vietnamese Army forces continued to avoid major contacts with Free World Forces. Their continual movement to avoid friendly forces or to search for food and supplies contributed to a decrease in the enemy-initiated ground attacks and attacks-by-fire in Quang Tri Province.
(2). Operation NEVADA EAGLE, initiated on 17 May 1968 in Thua Thien Province, continued in 1969 as the U.S. 101st Airborne Division continued to defeat enemy personnel, and capture rice caches, material, and installations within its large area of operations, where it undertook offensive sweeps along Route 547 and around Song Bo.
(3). Two battalions of the 4th Marine Regiment were engaged in Operation SCOTLAND II. Initiated on 15 April 1968, this multi-battalion search and clear operation was centered in and around Khe Sanh.
(4). The IV Corps Tactical Zone Dry Weather Campaign began on 1 December 1968 in support of the overall mission to prevent Viet Cong units from interfering with pacification efforts. This operation, "Speedy Express," interdicted lines of enemy communication and denied him the use of base areas. In 1969 the 1st Brigade, 9th U.S. Infantry Division continued the operation in Dinh Tuong Province, using its highly successful night ambush tactics while the 2d Brigade continued its mission with the Mobile Riverine Force. Although engagements in Operation SPEEDY EXPRESS were typically small, the 9th Infantry Division fought several sizeable engagements with impressive results.
On 23 February U.S. Navy units and installations at Da Nang, Tan An, Ben Luc, Go Dan Ha, and Tra Cu came under numerous and widespread attacks associated with a new enemy offensive, but since many units in these areas were poised to meet these attacks they caused only minimal damage. April saw the heaviest cumulative enemy activity in the barrier interdiction camapign to date.
